This follows comments that Tesla's CTO, JB Straubel,
made last year, when he said that the Model 3 would be the
basis for a variety of different vehicles.

A big question for Tesla followers is whether the Model 3 will
continue the company's pattern of introducing a relatively
luxurious new vehicle, as it did with the $100,000-plus Model X
SUV last year, or whether the Model 3 will really be an electric
car for the masses.

General Motors rolled out its all-electric Bolt this month, with
plans to get the car to market this year. That's well ahead of
the Model 3, which won't arrive until 2017.

The Bolt's interior, as
we found out when we test drove it in Las Vegas, is perfectly
nice but hardly luxurious. But GM will be able to sell the Bolt
for $30,000, after tax rebates and government credits. The Bolt
will be the only EV in the market that has range comparable with
Tesla's vehicles. Tesla range, given that it requires a big and
expensive battery, has always come at a steep price.

Tesla hasn't confirmed it, but the Model 3 probably won't utilize
the costly aluminum structure of the Model S and Model X. Expect
to see the Model 3 use good old-fashioned steel.

Weintraub offers some intriguing ideas about the Model 3's access
to Tesla's supercharger network, which is free for all Tesla
owners. There have been some issues, however, with owners using
the Superchargers for everyday charging, rather than for longer
trips, as Tesla reportedly intended the system. Weintraub
suggests that Model 3 owners may have to pay to use
Superchargers.